Drawbar rig for tractors



Feb. 6, w23. MMA@- J. J. TRACY DRAWBAR RIG FDR TRACTORS FILED FEB. 27, 1918 Jd/Wea 7Pa cy Patented Febs 6, M323,

JAMES l. TRACY, 0F CLEVELAND, 62H10.

DRAWBR `.'Etffi- FOR TRACTORS.

Application :filed February 27, 1918.

To all whom tm-ay concern; 1

Be it known that I, Jarras d. TRACY, a citi` Zen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Drawbar Rigs for Tractors, of which the following is a spec-ilication, the principle of the invention being herein eX- plained, and the best mode in which Ilia-ve contemplated applying' that principle so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present improvements have as their object the provision of a draw-bar rig for tractors, which will be simple and strong, and at the same time provide against unnecessary shoclr upon either the tractor itself or the machine being drawn thereby. A further object is to provide a draw-bar that may be swung from one side to the other as is frequently desirable, particularly in agricultural tractors, where a plow or like machine requires to be drawn to one side or the other of the center line of the tractor.

y To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim, the annexed drawing and the following description setting `forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing Fig. l is a plan view of the rear portion of a tractor frame showing my improved draw-bar rig installed therein; Fig. 2 is 4a side elevational view of the same; and Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical central sections of a detail taken on the planes indicated by the lines 3-3 and 4L`4, respectively, Fig. l.

The construction of the main frame of the tractor illustrated in the foregoing drawing is of course more or less typical, said frame comprising channeled side members l connected together by a plurality of transverse plates or angle bars. There is also shown the shaft 2 upon which the traction wheels or equivalent traction members, where the machine is of the track-laying or plank1ngtread type, are mounted.

As one of the transverse members of the frame, I utilize an angle bar 8, attaching the same to the side channels l some .distance forwardly of said shaft with one angle l of the bar directed downwardly so as to indicated, takes up the jar serial ne. aimee.

proi'ide a vertically ffiisposed flange,

clearly shown in Fig. 2. proper 5 is then attached to this ilange at a point approximately niidwaj,r between the ends of the bar, llith this object in view an aperture (i is formed in the flan at the point indicated, and the forward end of the bar is passed therethrough. Fixedly secured to the bar, so as to bear against the rear facci of the flange, is a washer 7 with its contacting face coned or rounded away and a similarly formed, but loosely mounted, washer 8 bears against the front face of the flange, being held thereagainst by means of a heavy compression spring 9 interposed between the same, and a third washer lO secured to the rod adjacent its outer end by means of a nut l1.

From the foregoing construction it will be seen that the bar is free to oscillate, particularly in the horizontal plane to which its movement is coniined by having its rear end held between two plates or bars l2 that serve to connect the rear ends of the side members l of the frame, The two bars between which the rear end of the draw-bar is thus held are provided with a series of corre'- sponding holes through which a pin 13 may be inserted, and thus limit the oscillation of the draw-bar in one direction. The rear eX- tremity of the draw-bar is formed as usual with an eye 14 to permit of the coupling thereto of a trailer, plow or other implement.

Extending from points on the side members l of the frame, well forward of the angle-bar 3, to which the front end of the draw-bar is attached, to points adjacent the point of attachment of the draw-bar to the flange 4 of such angle bar are two struts l5 which serve to transmit the strain imposed on said flange directly to said side members. These struts at the same time obviously increase the general rigidity of the frame.

By reason of the construction just described, accordingly, the pull of the drawbar is well distributed throughout the frame of the tractor, so that no one portion thereof is unduly strained. At the same time the compression spring, arranged in the fashion or shock incident to starting with a heavy load, and by virtue of its capacity to oscillate. the drawebar can be readily adjusted to pull a plow or other implement in a path to one side or the other of the central line of the tractor.

Other modes of applying the principle of The draw bar my invention may be employed instead or theV one explained, change being made as re garde the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by the following claim or the equivalent oi such stated means be employed.

l therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as n'iy invention 1- 'ln mechanism of the character described, the combination with a. tractor traine includn ing approximately parallel channel side members; of a transverse angle-bar secured at its ends to the under sides oil said menibers and having a flange directed downwardly, said `flange having an aperture interinediate of its ends; a draw-bar having its forward end projecting` through suoh aperture; a pair or transverse plates spaced one above the other,

attached to said side members to the rear of said ange and sito porting` said bar therebetween, so las to limit movement thereol to an approximately horizontal plane; adjustable means on said plate for limiting the oscillation of said bar in one direction only in such plane; struts attached to and extending from points on said lange adjacent the point of attachment oil said bar thereto to points on Saidside members lo* cated forwardly osaid flange; eoned Washers on said draw bar on either side` of said Harige, a spring abutment on the lforward end of said'bar7 andL a. coil spring between said abutment and the forward Washer for restraininglongitudinal movement or said bar.

Signed by nie, this 25th day oi' February, 1918.

- JAMES J. TRACY. 

